


Tumbling Head Over Heels

by antigrav_vector



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Comic), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Assumptions, Biting, Canon-Typical Violence, Exhibitionism, F/M, First Kiss, Get Together, Hurt/Comfort, I mean it does ignore Cap2 IM3 and Thor2, M/M, Mild D/s Overtones, Misunderstandings, OT3, Polyamory Negotiations, Power Dynamics, Slow Build, Sub!Tony, Switch!Steve, Threesome - M/M/F, Voyeurism, borrows from comics canon, canon-compliant through Avengers, dom!Pepper, mild whump, off-screen violence, pov fic, sneaky JARVIS, sneaky Pepper, sorta canon divergent, takes place right after Avengers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-03
Updated: 2014-08-29
Packaged: 2018-02-11 15:18:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 19,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2073087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/antigrav_vector/pseuds/antigrav_vector
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve, Tony, lots of UST and some mild angst, and a bit of BAMF Pepper to round things out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> With thanks to my lovely beta reader, [lil_1337](http://archiveofourown.org/users/lil_1337)

Tony woke to a hell of a headache, Steve's voice yelling something he couldn't quite parse in a tone that demanded a response, and a flat metallic taste in his mouth he couldn't quite...

Oh. Blood. Why was there blood?

He groaned low in his throat. His tongue felt thick and sore, and his eyes didn't want to focus properly on the splintered error messages the HUD was showing him, no matter how many times he tried screwing them shut and reopening them. Something wet trickled past the back of his ear and down the side of his neck. He resisted the urge to wipe it away, knowing he physically couldn't while wearing the armour.

Battle. Right.

The display of his surroundings on the HUD didn't show him anything relevant, simply displaying the featureless darkness around him and occasional short sharp bursts of static as the display tried to compensate for the lack of light and failed. He'd have to work on that, he decided. Once he got back to the workshop.

For that matter, it was amazingly dark for midday. Still dazed, he tried to lift his arm. Nothing happened. The servos whined and ground, to no effect.

"JARVIS?" It came out as an indistinct mumble, around his bitten tongue. Hard consonants hurt. Not that Tony was about to let that stop him.

"Sir! Are you actually with me this time?" The AI sounded uncharacteristically worried. Or maybe relieved. It was difficult to tell with his head still ringing the way it was.

"Wha', was I 'alking in my sleep again?" He tried the other arm. Still nothing. His legs wouldn't respond either. _Huh. Pep's gonna kill me._

"Sir," JARVIS broke into his thoughts, "sarcasm is _not_ going to help the situation. And I believe that you are likely correct about Miss Potts' reaction." 

Great. He was probably concussed, if he was narrating his inner monologue. He concentrated on the next few words, trying to force the consonants out. "Wha' sit'ation? JARVIS, why can' I move?"

"The tons of rubble pinning you down might have something to do with that," a very familiar, very dry, voice replied over the comm, slightly distorted by said rubble.

Tony smirked, distracted from snarking with JARVIS. It would help keep his mind off being unable to move. At least there was no water involved. "Cap! Wha' 're y' buttin' into my conv'sation wi' my AI for?" The sounds of fighting were faint in the background, like a more deadly form of white noise. The Hulk's roar and several explosions sounded, followed by a short vicious string of curses in Russian from Widow. Tony found himself desperately wishing he could see what was going on.

There was a short silence over the comm that somehow conveyed irritation, disapproval, and resignation -- from Steve, anyway. Coulson was calmly issuing orders to have someone start digging him out, a vaguely annoyed edge to his voice.

When Steve spoke again it was to say, "you'll be back out of there in about ten minutes. As soon as the medics clear you, I want you back in the air, Iron Man. Got it?"

"Please," Tony scoffed, his speech clearing a bit more as the ache in his tongue subsided slightly, and would have shrugged if he hadn't been pinned, "I've fough' in worse shape than this. Save me some 'ime and recall the medics." He grinned at the HUD when the words came out intelligibly. Good. At least now he didn't sound like he had a wrench clamped between his teeth anymore. Well, mostly.

"Sir, I believe you are, once again, missing the point." Tony made a face, knowing JARVIS wouldn't acknowledge it. He was surprised, then, when the AI 'borrowed' his comm frequency, and added, "Captain, I must inform you that flight capabilities are compromised, and need repair prior to--"

"JARVIS," Tony's voice held a note of warning as he broke in. "I'll do what needs doing."

"I'm sure," Steve sounded like he was repressing a sigh as he replied. "Just remember that that includes telling us when you're in trouble." The resonant clang of vibranium echoed over the comms as something met its doom, courtesy of Steve's shield.

"I'm not in trouble. Relax. Oh, hey, the dulce' tones of grinding concrete on metal. Just wha' I was hoping to hear." Sarcasm was armour against the darkness still trying to press in on him. Especially, since talking hurt. He'd managed to enunciate the words enough, he knew that, but it was annoying and painful to do so.

"Cap," Clint sounded as calm and vaguely gleeful as he ever did in battle, "Widow could use a hand, when you have a chance. Thor's too busy smiting, and Hulk's caught up in a rampage."

"Right. Iron Man, I need eyes in the sky, pronto." 

Tony heard nothing intelligible over the comms for a couple of long minutes after that. It made him twitchy. Distracting himself with music was a no-go, though. He needed to be able to hear the team. And JARVIS.

Fucking Doombots. Tony scowled darkly. Von Doom _really_ needed to come up with a new gimmick. When this battle was over he was going to find a way to shove a Doombot so far up Doom's ass he'd be shitting circuit boards for a week.

And JARVIS was sulking at him. Tony considered blasting his way out with his repulsor jets, but no, if people were working to dig him out, that would probably result in injuries. And therefore lectures from Cap, Fury, _and_ Coulson. Not to mention the reactions from Pepper and JARVIS.

Nope. Not his idea of a good time. 

Enjoying pushing peoples' buttons wasn't the same as being masochistic about it. In fact, that was half the fun of knowing them. It was one of the things he liked most about being with Pepper. She didn't hold grudges when he pushed the limits of her patience.

A trickle of dust and tiny concrete fragments fell onto his faceplate with a muted hiss and a few dull clinks. Tony switched off his comm for the moment. Steve didn't need any distractions, and if he was pinned much longer he would definitely fall into that category. Whether he wanted to or not.

He was feeling more focussed now, thanks to the growing anticipation of getting back into the fight. Simply burying Iron Man under half a building was sure as hell not gonna keep him down for long. Okay. Time for a systems check. Being able to read the HUD properly again was reassuring.

Various parts of the suit were highlighted in red on the display. Not good, but nothing life-threatening, Tony noted absently. There were more immediate problems to solve; he needed to be able to get into the air once he was free. "Hey, JARVIS, buddy, you there?" 

"Sir?" The AI's tone was frosty, an edge of frustration leaking through.

"Anything you can do about that left boot?"

"Not remotely, sir. It requires more than a reboot or a recalibration. Several of the contacts need resoldering. Might I suggest reinforcing them on the next redesign?"

"Great. Peachy. Suggestion noted." He took a deep breath, the air inside the suit tasting vaguely of iron and dust. The filter seals must have broken. "Any way to compensate for the off center thrust vector once I'm out of here?"

"That would take a significant amount of processing power that is currently--"

"Don't care; do it. Looks like we're doing this the hard way." Tony paused just long enough to hear JARVIS' resigned acceptance of the command, then added, "prep me a replacement suit just in case, will you? Don't care which one, make it one with the capability to come to me, but don't launch except on my command."

"Very well, sir. And do try not to move, the SHIELD excavation crews have just about reached you."

"Finally. Now back to your regularly scheduled ass-kicking."

A diesel motor was running somewhere off to his left and above him, its low rumbling almost a physical sensation rather than audible, now that he was nearly free of the rubble, and there were hints of light coming through the crevices between concrete chunks. It was a vast relief. Something relaxed deep in the pits of his psyche, and he wondered how the fight was progressing. The Doombots had been making a push right for Grand Central when he'd been tossed aside like a doll by an explosion. He'd hit the side of a building and about half its façade had crumbled, burying him. Someone -- he wasn't sure who -- had shouted something, but Tony hadn't been able to make out the words.

The large hunk of concrete and rebar pinning his left arm lifted and the sounds of the crew were getting clearer. Tony waited, carefully flexing his freed wrist and fingers, testing the servos and hydraulics. Nothing twinged in his arm. The greave and upper canon showed up clear on the HUD, if a bit dented and scuffed, but that didn't necessarily mean anything. He tested the rest of the suit's joints as they were released, pleased to see that they were all intact except the left knee, which had developed some servo lag. After a few moments, JARVIS compensated for it as best he could. The fix amounted to forcing the servo into actuating faster than usual, which felt _bizarre_ and took some getting used to.

Tony found it darkly amusing that the concrete pinning his face and torso was the last piece remaining. Now that he was nearly free, his patience was running out faster than before. It was ever so tempting to brace against whatever he was lying on and lift the concrete off his face. But, on the other hand, potentially damaging the suit more wasn't really a brilliant idea, when he could just give the crew another minute or so.

Tony tuned back into the comms chatter to take his mind off of being forced to wait to be freed.

Just in time to hear the rest of the team, minus Hulk, shouting at Steve to _move_.

Suddenly, damaging the suit was the least of Tony's worries.


	2. Chapter 2

By the time the battle was over and all the Doombots had been dealt with, Hulk had more or less finished the destruction of the façade Tony had been thrown into, Clint had sprained an ankle taking a dive off a parking garage that had collapsed under his feet when three Doombots destroyed by Thor had collapsed a load bearing pillar critical to its structural integrity, and Tony had -- barely -- come out of the mêlée with the armour intact, without needing to call for the replacement armour JARVIS had prepped. In the process he'd sprained his wrist when the weakened structure of his left gauntlet had crumpled under the force of firing his repulsors at one of the last remaining Doombots. Steve, who'd been caught in the explosion as a Doombot bit the dust, looked like he had a bad sunburn, the result of his healing factor taking care of the second degree burns quickly. Only his reflexes and agility had saved him a worse injury.

Cap still winced when he moved, as though the new pink skin was sensitive to the seams of his soot-streaked and more or less ruined uniform rubbing against it. Tony, nursing his mild concussion and bruises, could only look on, caught in a spate of jealousy. He needed to work out something to let him heal like that, Tony decided. And maybe while he was at it, he could also make it possible to interface the suit with his brain. That would be seriously cool. And useful.

Wincing when the cold pack he'd been handed to ice his wrist with dripped on his bare foot -- the medical team had cut away his undersuit at mid-thigh to make sure he hadn't injured his knee thanks to the improvised fix of that servo, and he hadn't bothered with street clothes after the examination -- Tony set it aside on the empty chair to his right and stood, wavering slightly and grimacing when his bare foot hit cold tile. Before he could say a word, Coulson walked into the room, followed closely by Pepper.

"Tony!"

"I'm fine, Pep," he winced as his bruises made themselves known. "A little banged up, but fine."

Her heels clicked on the tile floor as she crossed the room to stand in front of him, steadying him when he wavered on his feet. "Is he cleared to leave," she asked Coulson without looking away. The subtle scent of her perfume settled him in a way nothing else could match, of late. It was as scary as it was perfect, in a lot of ways, but he'd made the decision not to let it freak him out a while ago. Probably one of the best decisions he'd ever made.

"His injuries are minor, and the debrief is over," Coulson replied, his tone mild as ever.

"I'm right here, you know," Tony rolled his eyes. Bruce snickered, amused as he watched from his position in the far corner of the room.

"I know. Come on, Tony." With a nod to the others in the room, she waited just long enough for Tony to gingerly stoop to pick up the cold pack, favouring his injured wrist slightly and moving stiffly. The remains of the nearly-wrecked armour had already been crated and sent back to the Tower.

Happy had rolled his eyes, seeing him in the ruined undersuit and nothing else, when he exited the building with Pepper. It wasn't until they were seated in the back of the Rolls Royce, Tony leaning against Pepper with his head on her shoulder, that either of them spoke again. "You worried them today," Pepper said simply, hand buried in his hair.

Tony turned enough to give her a skeptical look, but was careful not to dislodge her hand. It was both comfortable and comforting. He loved having his hair played with. "Really."

"Tony," she held his eyes until he looked away. "You don't give them enough credit, you know."

"Pep, I'm on a team with two spies who could generally care less about me and know more about my history than I do, a god who'll outlive us all without even realising it, a green rage monster I share a lab with now and then, and the good captain, who is about as fond of me as something he's scraped off his shoe. Why would any of them worry about me?" Tony shrugged, then let his head fall back against the headrest. "I'm their eyes in the sky, Pep, and a source of new toys, that's all I am."

Pepper's eyes narrowed. "I already knew you were bad at figuring people out, Tony, but this is a new low. They're your team, and they care."

"What did you think of Carson's newest design spree," Tony abruptly changed the topic, tired of the old one.

Pepper, though she saw through the transparent attempt, decided to humour him and let him turn the conversation away from the vaguely emotional things that had come up. She'd learned that trying to force the issue wouldn't help; it usually had the opposite effect, really. That had been amply proven over the past few years. "He's trying too hard. There were a couple of promising attempts in what he presented, but nothing immediately implementable."

The conversation remained centered around SI's newest clean energy initiative and the designs for the ad campaign for the rest of the short trip. On their arrival back at the Tower, Pepper followed Tony into his workshop, watching as he immediately began working on whatever he thought important enough to merit his personal attention. "Tony?" She got an absent hum of acknowledgment as he cued up repairs of the simpler armour components for JARVIS and the bots to work on. "You need to let them in. Your team keeps you in one piece, out there. Holding them at arm's length is only hurting you, and them."

"Yeah, sure," tone dismissive, Tony waved the words away. "Stop, drop, and collaborate. You know I'm not a team player, Pep."


	3. Chapter 3

With a frustrated noise, Pepper left him to it. He'd already tuned her out anyway; she could tell. As she climbed the stairs to the penthouse proper, Pepper considered the problem.

Tony was isolating himself, and that was something that was only going to make matters worse as time went on. He _liked_ his team, she could see it in the way he quietly made sure the nation's political factions didn't get a lock on their targets after a bad mission, putting himself in the spotlight instead. She'd had to deal with the fallout of that several times, now. Tony liked being able to be a hero swooping in to save the day. It had worked wonders for him in the days after Afghanistan and Obadiah. He'd had a few bad months before he could recover from the personal and corporate wreckage that Obadiah's treachery had caused. Knowing that he was doing something to help fix that -- personally and directly, without a mountain of red tape -- had helped immensely.

Rhodey had been invaluable then, someone to help her curb Tony's wilder tendencies and to liaise with the military. She'd happily have headhunted him away from the Air Force if there had been half a chance in hell of it working. But the military was in his blood, as ingrained in him as his innate loyalty and sense of morality. Pepper knew he'd been forced to bite his tongue frequently in press events and that every white lie and omission cost him dearly on a personal level.

The business with Vanko and the Palladium Poisoning Incident had been another low point. Tony had been impossible then. Pitting her against the Board. Against Natalie. Throwing himself into situations that could easily have killed him long before the Palladium got him.

Then the Avengers Initiative had been launched in earnest six months later, and he'd been thrown onto a team with Natalie -- now revealed to be SHIELD agent Natasha Romanoff, Clint Barton, Dr. Bruce Banner, Thor, and the man chosen to lead the motley crew, Captain Steve Rogers. A man clearly lost, adrift, and at war with himself. The captain had stabilised quite a lot in the last few months, adjusting to his abruptly -- at least from his perspective -- changed circumstances, now that the team had reached a kind of equilibrium. He'd begun coming across with more confidence and calm in the press conferences, venturing out into the city more on volunteer efforts, but Pepper could see him pushing his own limits too hard. Rather like Tony had been pushing his lately.

Pepper sighed, her thoughts weighing heavily on her at the moment. "JARVIS?"

"Ms. Potts?"

"Do you agree with Tony's assessment of the other Avengers?"

The AI's tone seemed to convey a knowing smile. "No, Miss Potts, I do not. Judging by the comms chatter while Sir was unconscious, they were genuinely worried about his well-being."

That figured. Pepper shook her head, sighing softly to herself.

She mixed herself a martini at the bar, casually skewering three olives on a toothpick for it, and sat on the surprisingly comfortable sofa facing the enormous floor to ceiling windows staring out over the Manhattan skyline as the sun set. The Chrysler Building sparkled in the warm light, seeming to shine from within. Pepper took a sip of her drink, savouring the tart flavour of the olives and the smoothness of the gin. The damage caused by the Battle of New York was slowly, incrementally, being repaired. The Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building, as local landmarks and tourist attractions, had been among the first to be restored to their previous states, but much of the work remained uncompleted. Midtown in particular had suffered badly, portions of it crushed when one of the massive alien whale things came crashing down across several buildings.

"Ms. Potts?" JARVIS interrupted her musings.

"Yes, JARVIS?"

"A call for you."

That was odd. Normally calls for her came through on her cell phone. "Who is it?"

"Captain Rogers would like a moment."

Surprised, Pepper raised an eyebrow. Why was he calling her rather than Tony? "Sure. Put him on."

There was a quiet click -- JARVIS signaling that he'd given the call priority on the room's speakers -- and then the captain's voice sounded, his tone surprisingly tentative. "Hello?"

"Captain," Pepper masked her confusion with a smile. "What can I do for you?"

"Well, I wanted to call Tony and let him know that the team is scheduled to meet for a briefing session day after tomorrow. If he's not there, he's benched for the mission next week."

"Let me guess. He was ignoring his calls."

"I don't know, but that seems like a good guess," the captain's voice conveyed his dissatisfaction with that.

Pepper's tone went dry. "You'll get used to it, Captain. He does that on occasion anyway, but it's pretty much impossible to get through when he's in his workshop trying to block out the world after a fight."

"I'd noticed. Can't say as I like it." 

"You saw for yourself. He's fine." Pepper tried to reassure him. It was cute, the way the man mothered his team. As though he knew that most of them would have food and sleep habits born of chaotic schedules and general lack of a sense of time. Amusingly enough, from what she'd heard, the team captain was no better at taking care of himself when left to his own devices. Feeding and hounding the others was apparently his way of keeping himself on rhythm, as well as making sure his team was in good shape. "Tony's just holed up fixing the armour."

She'd much rather have had Tony here with her than in the workshop, really. Pepper forced down a sigh. With a bit of luck she'd--

"That wasn't what I was worried about," the captain broke into her thoughts again.

"What's wrong?" She refocused her attention. This could be important.

"Tony's been shutting us out."

Pepper blinked, surprised, before a slow smile took hold. "I know. But maybe we can change that."

"How? Nothing I've tried has worked."

"You have to know how to push the right buttons," Pepper looked up at the ceiling. "Come join me for dinner after the briefing, if Tony blows it off."

"What?"

"I'm sure you heard me, Captain," Pepper arched an eyebrow at the phone mic, knowing there was some challenge in her voice.

He laughed. "You know, you remind me a lot of a friend. And call me Steve."

"Well, Steve?"

"Alright, I'll follow your lead on this."

Pepper's satisfaction was probably clear to hear as she replied. "JARVIS, please make sure Tony attends dinner. Whatever is necessary, up to and including shutting off the power in the workshop."

Steve, still on the line, sounded startled. "He-- you can do that?"

JARVIS was quicker to answer than Pepper. "I do prefer not to. Sir tends to get... upset. But I can and will make exceptions occasionally."

"I see. Thank you, JARVIS."

"See you for dinner, then, Steve," Pepper offered him a chance to bow out of the conversation.

"I can bring--"

"No need." Pepper cut him off, knowing it was a bit rude, but not wanting to get into a debate. "This is on Tony."

"But I can't just show up empty-handed," he tried again, sounding almost pained.

"Alright," she relented, realising that it was probably some habit that had been drilled into him years ago, "feel free to bring some small trinket, but it's really not necessary."

"Noted. Good night, Ms. Potts."

"Call me Pepper."

This time his smile was audible. "Good night, Pepper."

"Good night, Steve."


	4. Chapter 4

After the first day he spent locked in his lab, Tony had fixed the issue with the bootjets that the collapsed building had revealed and begun rebuilding the gauntlets. After the second, he'd upgraded the gauntlet repulsors, implemented the upgrades, rebuilt the lower half of the armour pretty much from the ground up, and JARVIS had lectured him on eating something other than smoothies. Halfway through the third, JARVIS abruptly shut off the interface Tony had been tapping away at, muttering to himself, trying to design that device he'd decided he needed to show Doom who was technological master of New York damn it. He just didn't have enough clean data. Not even mocking up his own Doombot specs based on what he'd seen as he helped destroy them had helped.

"Hey!" Tony yelped, surprised. Then his expression darkened, as did his tone. "JARVIS, just what do you--"

The AI interrupted him, speaking over him as he trailed off in near shock. "Sir, I have been instructed by Ms. Potts to ensure that you have adequate motivation to shower and join her for dinner."

This was new. Very new. JARVIS had bitched at him about such things before, but never directly taken action. Tony's eyes narrowed, but he considered for a moment before he yelled at JARVIS, as he always did. There was always a reason for JARVIS' actions. Usually a more rational reason than Tony could claim. After a tense moment, he gave in, though not gracefully. He didn't really want to piss off Pepper. Annoyed was fine, generally, but pissed off was Bad. It tended to mean tears and yelling, neither of which he dealt with well, especially when it came to someone who mattered, like Pepper. "You damn well better have saved that, first," he grumbled, relenting somewhat and forcing himself to calm. "I was finally making some progress."

"Of course, sir." The AI's tone was as neutral as it ever got.

With a stifled groan, Tony stood and worked the kinks out of his neck and back. Being thrown around in the suit never did him any favours, and having a marathon session in the workshop immediately afterwards hadn't helped with the stiffness and soreness. But he'd needed the time to himself. Why... well. He didn't really want to sort through those feelings in detail. They were a confusing mass of helplessness, bright want, and resignation. And the cause, well, part of it, anyways, was upstairs.

Nope. Not dealing with that right now. He forced himself to set the problem aside again, feeling suddenly frustrated with the situation in general. He was happy with Pepper, happier than he'd ever been, damn it; he didn't need this. Didn't want to want more. But want it he did. Stomping over to the elevator, the doors sliding open silently as he approached, he entered and waited silently for JARVIS to whisk him up to the Tower penthouse. Fuck it. He'd worry about it after dinner, if at all.

A quarter hour later, his hair still damp, Tony casually sauntered into the modern open plan penthouse, wondered as he did how obvious it would be if he maintained his distance like this. It had worked so far, but--

He stopped dead as he caught sight of the occupants of the room. Pretty obvious, apparently. Gathering his composure, he quipped, "Company for dinner, Pep? You shouldn't have."

Steve gave him a sardonic look, stepping to verbally defend Pepper. "Well, no one else stands a chance of prying you out of that workshop, and I wanted to talk to you."

Oh great. They were conspiring against him, now. Warily, he stepped over to stand in front of Pepper. "Somehow," he eyed her, still speaking to Steve, "I don't doubt that." 

The comment got him a confused look from Steve. Pepper offered him one of her enigmatic smiles. One of the ones she used in delicate negotiations when she didn't want to give anything away. This conversation would probably either be fairly painless, Tony decided, or excruciating.

Still. He'd never really shied away from danger. With a shrug, he gave in. "So, dinner?"

"Pepper ordered Thai," Steve offered, gesturing toward the table. "But don't think you're getting out of this so easily."

"Assumptions, Cap," Tony smirked at him, his mask of humour in place. "Careful with those." Getting a slight frown in response this time, he sauntered over to the table, glancing at the selection before appropriating a plate he assumed was meant for him; it had all his favorites on it, and the other two contained dishes less familiar to him. He glanced back at Cap and Pepper in time to see them exchange a look and a shrug.

What the hell was going on here?

Well, he decided, picking up a pair of chopsticks and settling himself on the low sofa, they'd pried him out of his workshop for food. He might as well eat. At least that would get JARVIS off his case.

After a short hesitation, probably borne of confusion, Steve followed Pepper's lead, picking up his own plate and utensils. The two of them chose places to sit, and Tony more or less ignored them in favor of his food. Now that he'd started eating, he was reminded that he was _hungry_.

The three of them ate in relative silence for a few minutes before Steve shifted, squaring his shoulders.

Tony didn't look up, but his focus was on his teammate. Mostly out of curiousity. What was so damn important, anyway?

"Tony," Steve spoke slowly, seeming to consider each word before he voiced it, "why don't you trust us?"


	5. Chapter 5

"Tony," Steve spoke slowly, seeming to consider each word before he voiced it, "why don't you trust us?"

Startled, Tony looked up, meeting Steve's eyes, putting his chopsticks down carefully. "What?"

"Why don't you trust us? Why won't you let us in?"

Whether he was doing it consciously or not, the way he was echoing Pepper's words of three days ago was really throwing Tony. Shoving aside the suspicions he had about their possible conversations behind his back, Tony forced himself to focus on the current conversation. "I don't know what you mean."

"That's exactly the kind of reaction I mean." Steve's expression was strange. Somewhere between uncomfortable and resigned.

Abruptly tired of dancing around the topic, Tony set his plate aside with a sharp gesture and a clatter. Pepper jumped ever so slightly but stayed quiet. Steve just watched as Tony stood and paced. "You know what, fine. You want to know why I don't let anyone in? That would be because every time I have, I've been burned. With only one exception. Maybe two. There were mitigating circumstances on one of them." Tony watched Pepper wince, half hidden behind Steve. She knew _exactly_ what -- and whom -- he was referring to. Things had been awkward between him and Rhodey for a long while after Rhodey'd let Vanko and Hammer mess around with Tony's tech and the ensuing chaos that had created.

"Burned?" Steve gave him a surprised look.

Tony snorted. Right. Still catching up on slang. "Metaphorically, Cap. I'm a public figure, with a lot of infamy, money and influence. Everyone out there that tries to get close to me is after one of those three things. Pretty much everyone that I've let in has tried to take at least one of those through intrigue or by force. Some have attempted to do it by killing me. So, yeah. Letting people in close to me? Not my favourite thing to do, and not something I do lightly."

Pepper gave him a look that said, 'that's not the real reason, tell him'. Tony ignored it.

Apparently on firmer ground again, Steve gave him a considering look. He'd known enough about Tony's history already not to be too overly shocked by what he'd heard, it appeared. "What does it take?"

"Hot sex?" Tony smirked, amused, as Steve glared at him from under an embarrassed expression.

"Seriously."

"Okay, how's this for serious: I don't know. That's been different for every one of the people I've let in."

Steve nodded slowly. "I guess that's fair."

Carefully setting aside his own plate and standing, Steve stepped toward him. Tony watched him slightly warily, unsure of what he intended. When Pepper stood and joined Steve, stopping just behind him and to his left -- mirroring Tony's usual position in photos and in the field (intentionally, he was sure) -- he raised an eyebrow at her. "You have something to add, Pep?"

The innocent smile she gave him reminded him of the night right before the Chitauri Invasion. She'd given him the same look right before cheerfully trying to verbally cut him off at the knees over the comment about the twelve percent. "Remember the conversation we had about exceptions when we agreed that we would try dating?"

Tony nodded, a sudden suspicion taking root. Surely she wasn't suggesting--

"Well, I think I've found an exception."

Okay, this conversation had just hit awkward full tilt and it was looking like excruciating wasn't far behind. But it wasn't for him, so he didn't find it too distasteful. It was kinda surprising, though.

Steve looked puzzled. "Exception?"

Pepper patted his arm in an attempt to be comforting. Tony wasn't sure it worked, judging by Cap's expression, which was hilariously uncomfortable. "Well, Steve, I don't know how much you've delved into the dating scene since you... came back, but most serious couples these days discuss the dimensions their relationship will take. Up to and including occasionally bringing in a third person."

It took a moment, but when it all fell into place, Steve stuttered. It really was kind of endearing. Not that Tony would allow Steve to charm him. Nope.

"But-- Pepper!" Steve was trying to protest, "are you sure you--"

"Very." She certainly sounded sure. And, Tony had to admit to himself: it was no particular surprise that Pepper was interested; you'd have to be dead not to be. Hell, _he'd_ thought about it once or twice. A week. But that meant nothing. Really. It was just... Cap was too good to just offer a one-night stand. He was just decent, right down to his bones. And a one-night stand, even if it was a threesome, was all Tony _could_ offer, so long as he was with Pepper. It wouldn't be right to offer more when he couldn't follow through. If Pepper was alright with it, and she obviously was if she was making this offer, he had no problem seizing what he could of the opportunity, though. Cap was attractive as sin, and that was something anyone who halfway watched the news could tell Tony'd have a difficult time resisting. He'd resolved never to bring it up to Pepper -- he was happy with her and he wasn't going to put her on the spot like that, despite their agreement -- and managed so far, but the temptation had been wearing him down more and more lately, what with Cap's heroic streak.

"But I--"

"Steve," she stopped him, voice firm, "you are wonderful and don't let anyone convince you otherwise."

He gave Tony a helpless look, as though asking for rescue. Tony shrugged, still not entirely sure whether he was enjoying this turn of events. He did kind of want this, but he wasn't sure it wouldn't make things complicated between himself and Pepper. Hell, between all three of them. "Don't look at me, Cap. We discussed it between us long ago; as long as we let each other know beforehand, it's allowed, unless there are good reasons not to."

"Steve," Pepper interjected, "if this makes you uncomfortable, or you simply don't want to, you're allowed to say no."

"I--" Steve's voice was small. "I don't know. It's--"

"If it's because of me," Tony interjected, sensing an opening to think and taking it, "don't be. I'll just let you two talk this out." As quickly as he could without looking hurried, Tony made good his escape. Ducking down the stairs, he input the code to the workshop door without looking at the keypad, hands on automatic. He had a few things to consider after that conversation, and he knew anything else they said would only sting to hear. Steve was clearly straight and more interested in Pepper than in him. The hesitation had given him away.


	6. Chapter 6

Pepper sighed, staring after him. "Well, that went well," she said, tone dry.

"Don't know about that," Steve replied, caught between relief that the focus was no longer on him and concern about Tony. "At least he listened. Half the time during briefings, we don't even get that much of his attention."

"You have to remember, Captain, Tony is very good at sleight of hand. Verbal and physical. He's been in the public eye since he was four, and, though he hates it, he knows how it works. Backwards and forwards. He's paying attention. Especially," she smiled crookedly, "where you're involved."

"Me? I'm just a kid from Brooklyn."

"Nice try. That line ever work?" The crooked smile had become suppressed laughter. "Steve, he didn't know what to do with himself for about a week when you were found, he was so excited. He respects you, you know. In so far as he respects anyone."

Steve winced. They hadn't gotten off to the best start. "I doubt that."

"Captain," JARVIS put in, "for nearly as long as I have known Sir, he has changed for no one but himself and, until recently, Ms. Potts. Since his addition to the Avengers Initiative, he has begun subtly altering his fighting strategies to compensate for your own in a statistically significant manner."

Pepper nodded. "He'd never admit it, if you asked him."

Obviously unsure quite how to react, Steve ran a hand through his hair, making a mess of the neat style it had been in. Pepper decided the disheveled look suited him. After a moment, he asked, "so were you serious about that invitation or was that meant to distract Tony?"

"Both. It should get him thinking. But, that said... I'm sure. Are you?"

"What about Tony? You did say something about additions?"

"That's up to you. I've seen the way he looks at you, and I can tell you I highly doubt he would turn down the opportunity. If you prefer, he doesn't have to get involved immediately. He tends to be demanding in bed."

"Maybe not the first time, then?" The tone was vaguely hopeful, but Steve's expression was serious.

"The first time with us, or the _first time_?" Pepper couldn't help asking. She didn't really expect her suspicion to be true, but... 

Steve looked away, a sadness in his eyes that Pepper didn't think to question. "Never really got this far with anyone else."

"I--" Pepper couldn't help staring at him. She didn't doubt that was the case. Steve wasn't the type to lie, much less about something like that, but _how_ \--? Never mind. That could wait. "Well, if I have any say in it, this won't be a one-night stand."

That finally got a weak smile out of Steve. "So if Tony puts up a fuss, you'll put it in his schedule and let JARVIS remind him?"

"I would be happy to remind him," JARVIS agreed. "Sir has a habit of ignoring certain important appointments."

"The Star-spangled Man with a Plan."

Steve groaned. "I always hated that nickname. Most of the time improvising works better."

They finished their respective meals in contemplative silence, with the occasional comment about anything that came to mind. There was a bit of tension to the atmosphere in the room, but neither of them felt the need to actively worry about it. They both knew it would ease once Steve had had a chance to get used to the idea Pepper had proposed to him tonight, and once Tony came around. For that matter, Pepper admitted to herself, it had been Tony's comment about sex that had sparked her plan on the spot: invite Steve in herself, and keep him around until Tony finally saw reason. They had discussed threesomes and open relationship rules, after all, so it wasn't unreasonable.

What it was, from Tony's perspective, she was sure, was unexpected. She'd never brought up the point after their initial discussion and agreement. Somewhat surprisingly, neither had Tony. But this presented an opportunity to get Tony on better terms with the team. Or at least with the captain. And if she got to enjoy herself in the process, reasonably guilt-free... well.

This promised to be fun. 

"So..." Steve broke the silence awkwardly. "Now what?"

"Well, now you take your time and get used to the idea," was Pepper's prompt response. "Do some research if you want. Otherwise, I don't mind answering questions. Then let me know. I'm in no hurry, though I will admit to some anticipation."

The look of utter relief on Steve's face was almost comical. His tone careful, he asked, "Dinner next week?"

Pepper smiled. It was sweet, the way he wanted to take her out on a date, and kind of adorable that he still thought she might say no after she'd just effectively invited him into her bed. Such a vast difference from Tony's whirlwind approach and assumed assent. Granted, Tony was usually right, but that wasn't the point. Pulling her PDA out of her purse, she replied. "Sure. Thursday at seven at-- is sushi alright?" Steve nodded. "Sakagura, then."

"Thursday at seven. Would you rather meet here or at the restaurant?"

"Come here and park your bike in the garage, and we can have Happy drive us over. Parking tends to be a nightmare in that area." She walked Steve to the elevator doors, continuing to speak as she did, "That reminds me. JARVIS, please let Happy know, and tell Tony that if I don't have those designs he promised me for the board meeting on Monday there'll be hell to pay."

There was a definite smirk in the AI's tone as he responded. "Of course, Ms. Potts. I have taken the liberty of making reservations at Sakagura."

"Thank you, JARVIS," she nodded. Steve looked slightly surprised by the exchange, and Pepper laughed lightly. "You'll get used to it. JARVIS is extraordinarily helpful and far politer than Tony."

"I thought JARVIS only dealt with Tony and his--" he trailed off, looking for the right phrase.

"Tony and his personal brand of crazy?" Pepper offered.

Steve gave her a crooked smirk. "That sounds about right."

"I do primarily deal with the tasks Sir assigns me," JARVIS put in just as the elevator doors slid silently open, "but I am free to assist Ms. Potts and a few select others, as well."

With a nod -- he missed having a proper hat, but few people wore them anymore and he couldn't find one he liked, besides -- Steve stepped into the car. "I'll see you on Thursday, then."

"Good night, Steve."

He offered her a tentative smile as the doors closed between them.


	7. Chapter 7

The weekend passed uneventfully with the exception of JARVIS' Pepper-induced nagging over the designs he'd forgotten. He finished off the designs and sent them without much protest. He'd needed something to work on, something to keep his hands and eyes occupied, as he mulled over the events at dinner on Friday evening.

Pepper's invitation to Cap had caught him -- and Cap himself, apparently -- off guard and totally flat-footed. She hadn't so much as hinted that she wasn't satisfied with him in bed. Maybe it _was_ just for a fling. It wasn't something he would ever have expected from Pepper, who had been steadfastly loyal to him in pretty much every way possible for years, including keeping JARVIS and the bots safe from Obie during those months he'd been held captive. Tony didn't doubt for a moment that the snake would cheerfully have scrapped his AIs for parts and sold them to the highest bidder, if not for Pepper's intervention.

All of which made her sudden apparent change of heart on Friday seem more unbelievable.

It didn't add up.

The week passed quietly, though, without any sign of the captain. The team had gone off on a mission without him yesterday, but he'd barely noticed at the time, buried nose-deep in schematics and simulations. Maybe Cap'd gotten cold feet, Tony decided. Unexpected, but it was possible.

On Thursday evening, having left his workshop long enough to order in some pizza at JARVIS' urgings, Tony was disabused of that notion when the elevator opened and Pepper stepped out on Cap's arm. Both were smiling broadly, though they sobered slightly when they spotted him.

"Tony," Pepper glided over and kissed him.

Steve watched, unsure how to proceed, but masking his unease well.

"You should have joined us," Pepper added, linking her fingers together behind his neck as his found their usual place on her waist, and that... uh. Wow.

"Nah," Tony tried to play it off. "A date is for two people, not three."

Surprisingly, it was Cap that replied. "If three people can share a bed, why not a date? That makes no sense."

Pepper latched on to the statement, even as she let go of Tony to stand and step back. "Don't mind him, Steve, he's just upset he didn't think of it first."

_What?!_

Apparently his surprise must have shown on his face. Pepper gave him an arch look, smug and almost taunting.

"I'd better get going," Steve interjected. He looked like he'd decided that a strategic withdrawal was in order. Tony raised an eyebrow at him, only getting a level look in return.

"Right, you had that meeting," Pepper was quick to agree, supporting him. "Would you like to join us for dinner Tuesday?"

"Tuesday," Tony asked, his tone somewhere a few notes higher than normal. "What about movie night?"

"Of course." Pepper nodded, smiling, and Tony just knew he'd only made it worse, somehow, as she turned back to the erstwhile captain. "You're welcome to stay for movies afterward, if you like."

Outmaneuvered and hating it, Tony tried to stare a hole through the back of Pepper's head. What the hell was she doing? Movie night was their together time, away from responsibilities and other people.

"I'm not sure I can stay for movies afterward, but dinner sounds great," Steve beamed at them both, politely ignoring the looks Tony was unsuccessfully trying to give Pepper. Tony forced himself not to melt a little at the clear enjoyment underlying that smile. This was a bad idea.

If Pepper wanted some time with the captain, she could have it. They'd agreed on that much. Tony didn't have to like it, though. Or take part. Taking part would only rub it in more that they were having fun he wasn't going to get a chance to join in on. Steve's hesitation when Pepper made the suggestion had made that clear. He'd all but flinched at the idea of having them both join him in bed at the same time.

The moment the captain left, Tony made his escape. This was going to be one of the more frustrating weeks of his life. No. Pepper was almost as stubborn as Steve. Make that at least two months.

Fucking hell.


	8. Chapter 8

Steve woke with a start, a rhythmic beeping suddenly impinging on his awareness. It spiked when he sat up, or tried to, and he recognised a heart monitor. The room he was in was clearly one of SHIELD Medical's recovery rooms, judging by the logos plastered all over the equipment. The casts on his left arm and right leg stopped him from moving as freely as he wanted. They ached fiercely, too. Damn. If _he_ was in this kind of shape, what injuries did the others--

Before he could worry about the state of his team and their mission, Natasha walked into the room on cat-quiet feet. She stood out like an inky shadow against the various shades of white and cream in the room. "Cap," she greeted him. "How are you feeling?"

"Disoriented?"

The assassin snorted delicately. "I'm not surprised. You took quite a blow to the head before you fell off that ledge. Your left arm is fractured and your right tibia is broken. Some bruising to your ribs, but none broken or cracked. With your healing factor you should be fine in a few days."

"And Doom?" Steve needed to know. The hit he'd taken -- and the fall -- had been because of his distraction, which, in turn, had been a result of Tony's usual recklessness. Swooping in close to Doom to take some of the heat off of Steve, Tony had gotten himself into more of a fight than he'd intended. The problem with that approach had been that worrying about him had only made things worse for Steve.

"Stark managed to disarm most of the Doombots with some hack he came up with more or less on the spot. Don't ask me what he did. Thor helped. He put a bit more strength into using that hammer of his than usual. Doom was disappointingly easy to take down after that." Natasha inspected her nails, smirking down at them when Steve sank back into his pillows, relieved. "The debrief has been dealt with."

"Other injuries?" Clint had probably racked up a few. Tony came in a close second when it came to frequency of injuries, though the severity of his were generally less than Clint's. 

"None as severe as yours. Surprisingly. The usual assortment of bruises and scrapes."

"Good. When can I get out of here?" He desperately wanted a shower. His skin felt about to crawl off his body.

Natasha gave him a sympathetic look. "Probably not for at least 24 hours. The staff want to monitor you. You've been out for almost a full day and a half, Steve."

What? His shock must have shown on his face. But--

"You'll be fine, but you need to recover."

That meant he would be missing movie night after all. Damn it. Reluctantly, Steve gave in with a scowl. He _hated_ hospitals. "Any chance I could get something to eat, then," he asked, reaching for some normalcy. "And maybe something to read."

The comment got him a knowing smirk and his dog-eared copy of _The Hobbit_ appeared in Natasha's hand. Accompanied by one of his sketchbooks and pencil sets and his tablet for when he got tired of both. "I think something could be arranged."

The pile of things was unceremoniously put into his hands, Natasha's usual economy of motion coming to the forefront. He checked the tablet first. At least with that he could contact Pepper. Knowing Tony and Agent Coulson, she already knew, but leaving it at that wasn't his style. "Thanks." After a beat he added, glancing up, "these are pretty much exactly what I had in mind."

Natasha's smirk softened into a small smile as she stood. "I'll let the nurses know you're awake and hungry."

Before Steve could reply, she was gone.

It was about twenty minutes before a nurse entered with a tray. He gave Steve a professional half-smile, asked the usual questions, checked his vitals, and was gone. Presumably to deal with some other responsibilities. At least he'd disconnected most of the monitors. Steve shrugged to himself and uncovered the tray. With a complete lack of surprise, he eyed the portions. The amount of food on the tray was about half of what Steve considered a meal for a normal person. About a quarter of what he usually ate. Less if he'd been on mission. Well, it was better than nothing. He'd just have to request more later. Assuming he wanted to deal with the tasteless mush Medical considered food again so soon.

He ate carefully, favoring his left arm slightly. The air cast made holding a fork possible, though difficult. Previous experience and a bit of patience allowed him to demolish the food in fairly short order. Setting aside the tray, Steve picked up his tablet, unlocking it with slightly clumsy fingers. Doing this one-handed would be a lot more tedious than he'd anticipated.

Pulling up his good leg and resting the tablet against his thigh to prop it up, he opened the messaging function. He'd added Pepper and Tony, both, after he had been invited to join them the first time, but he hadn't messaged them much. Of the two Pepper was far better about responding. Tony never did, or asked JARVIS to do it for him, judging by the tone of the messages -- far more suave and polished than Tony ever bothered to be around him.

Haltingly, he typed out, *-Sorry, but I'll have to ask for a rain-check on dinner.-*

A few minutes later, he got a reply. *-Steve! I'm so glad you're alright. Don't worry about dinner, I heard about what happened.-*

*-I heal quickly. Don't worry about me.-*

*-You're about a day and a half too late with that one.-* The strain she would never have shown in person seemed to radiate off the typed words.

*-Something tells me Tony would not get off this lightly,-* Steve dared joke in reply, trying to lighten her mood.

*-Well, he does that to me, including the injuries, at least once every six months. You've only done it once.-*

He snorted, amused. *-Fair point.-*

*-Do you need anything?-*

Pepper, he was quickly learning, was the type of person to give and give and give without thought for herself, except perhaps in a business setting. *-I'm fine for now,-* Steve typed, *-but a real meal would be nice. I don't know if anyplace will deliver, here, but somehow I suspect Tony -- or JARVIS -- does.-*

*-Done and done. How do you feel about Italian?-*

The day was looking up. *-That sounds great. Thank you, Pepper.-*

*-Don't let Tony fool you, Cap,-* she added after a long minute. 

Steve blinked, surprised. What? Hoping for clarification, he asked, *-what do you mean?-*

*-He stayed with you after the battle until the staff forced him to leave.-*

Somehow that was difficult to believe. *-He barely talks to me and I know he loathes hospitals.-*

Pepper didn't answer. After fifteen patient minutes, Steve shut off the tablet, happy enough to be done laboriously typing for the time being, and picked up his book instead, losing himself in the tale.

A knock on the doorframe pulled Steve abruptly back to reality, his time sense telling him it had been about an hour since he'd heard from Pepper, even as he looked up. "Tony?"

"Heard you requested dinner. I thought you'd prefer not to eat the swill they call food here."

"It's not so bad. Just..."

"Tasteless mush," Tony interjected, cutting him off when he paused for too long, searching for an inoffensive term. Steve was amused at how exactly it echoed his thoughts from earlier. "Here." A paper bag filled with food was more or less dropped in his lap and Steve only barely managed to catch it, fumbling slightly with his bad hand. "Giovanni's. This one's on me."

"Thanks, Tony." It was interesting, Steve reflected with a half-smile, just how much of a difference it made when Pepper was in the room with them. Tony was much more relaxed right now. "I thought you'd be buried in schematics by now."

"Couldn't seem to focus. Figured I might as well," Tony replied, deftly picking up a fork and a take-out box of what smelled like linguine with alfredo sauce.

"Meaning you were annoying Pepper and she kicked you out," Steve asked.

Tony smirked. "Happens more often than you might think."

"The inability to focus I knew about. Pepper kicking you out, I didn't."

"There's a lot you don't know about me, Cap."

"I know," Steve said simply, with a shrug. "But that'll never change unless you tell me."

That seemed to stop Tony cold. He opened his mouth, then closed it, without speaking, taking a bite of his pasta instead. The room fell silent for a moment. "Fair point," Tony eventually admitted. "What do you want to know? 'Cause there are things I can't talk about, and other things I won't talk about."

"Why are you so against the idea of sharing a bed with me? Pepper invited me, and you seemed okay with the idea then. What changed your mind?"

Tony almost choked on his food. Hastily swallowing and clearing his throat, he coughed into his hand before he answered. "Well, shit. You go right for the jugular. I really don't think this is the place to have this conversation, Cap."

"Let Fury listen in if he wants. I don't much care. Well? What was it?" Steve wasn't about to give ground now. Not when he might actually have a chance to get an answer.

"It's not that I changed my mind, per se."

Tony seemed to be in full evasion mode. "That doesn't answer the question," Steve pressed.

"I'm not against it. I'm just not sure it's a good idea."

"Why?" Steve raised an eyebrow at him. That reeked of assumptions, and probably incorrect ones, at that. "Bad ideas are your stock-in-trade."

"For fuck's sake. Fine. But we're not doing this here. Later, once you're released."

"I'll hold you to that."

Tony buried his face in his hands, his food forgotten. "I know. Believe me. I know," he sighed, the sound muffled by his palms.


	9. Chapter 9

Safely back in the workshop, Tony made a beeline for the main center console. Rather than open a project to work on, he slumped forward in his chair and rested his forehead on his crossed forearms. "Fucking hell."

"Sir," JARVIS asked, his tone oddly solicitous, "is there a problem?"

"I think I might just be royally screwed, JARVIS."

"More or less so than during the Monaco Incident?"

Tony snorted. That _did_ kinda put it in perspective. At least this time he wasn't being targeted by a maniac with arc reactor powered electrified whips. "I meant that a bit more literally, J."

"Judging by your past comments and actions, that is hardly a problem." JARVIS' tone all but dripped sass. His AI was a work of art, but it did still sting a bit when JARVIS made commentary on his life, Tony decided for the umpteenth time.

"That was before Pepper, as you know damn well," he retorted.

"I would like to point out that the good Captain is of rather a different calibre to those that came before, as it were. As is Ms. Potts."

"That's the problem, buddy," Tony said on a sigh. "That's exactly the problem."

He sat in silence for several minutes before straightening and shaking out his hands. "Bring up the schematics for the Doombot Killer we were working on, would you, JARVIS?"

"Of course, sir. Would you prefer the roughed out version or the second, more refined attempt?" The AI didn't bat a metaphorical eyelid at the change in topic, well used to Tony's habit of dealing with emotional issues by emphatically _not_ dealing with them.

"Throw 'em both up. Do you have the results on the data analysis of the Doombot communications frequencies from the last battle?"

"The recordings from the armour are noisy at best, but analysis suggests a bimodal Lorentz frequency modulation curve." A plot appeared next to the pair of schematics.

Losing himself in engineering sounded perfect right about now. Yep. Let's see. If he used a combination of frequency generators and an infrared laser, he ought to be able to get the optimal signal to shut the damn Doombots off remotely. Now, the question was: how to build it to withstand a battle? He wouldn't necessarily be able to guarantee that he wouldn't take at least one hard hit before he could use the device, so anything flimsy was out...

When he surfaced, it was to the staccato click of Pepper's heels on the concrete workshop floor and the smell of fresh-brewed coffee. A glance at the clock made him suppress a wince. He'd missed dinner and most of breakfast. "Tony?"

"Pepper, what brings you here?"

"Well, when you bury yourself in work to the point where you forget that you have meetings with your team, and they show up looking for you, you need to be prepared to face the consequences."

Tony groaned. "Shit." _Cap wasn't going to be happy._

"No," Pepper said, "he isn't. But until he's mobile again and out of the hospital bed, that doesn't matter. We can deal with that later."

"I said that out loud, didn't I?" Goddamn, but he wanted to bang his head against the wall. He settled for crossing his arms on his desk and letting himself slump forward to plant his face in the crook of his elbow.

"Tony, what's bothering you?"

Tony raised his head just enough to reply. "There's nothing bothering me, Pep. I'm fine."

It didn't even sound convincing in his own ears. Pepper wasn't going to buy it.

"You're really not." Pepper took the two steps forward to trail her fingers across Tony's shoulders and up the nape of his neck to bury one hand in his hair. "Tony, this situation is getting out of hand, and it wouldn't even take that much to fix it. Just talk to him."

"Pepper," Tony stopped, at a loss for words.

"Tony, talk to me. Tell me what's going through that head of yours. Tell me what's got you all twisted up in knots. Or tell Steve. He's worried."

Back at the beginning of all this, Tony knew, he would have denied that as loudly and vehemently as possible. He hadn't believed it. Hadn't wanted, hadn't _dared_ believe it. Now... now he wasn't so sure. He cared. He'd been forced to face up to that much when Steve had nearly gotten himself killed. Twice. Once because Tony had failed to find all of the Doombots that had scattered on his approach. Again when he'd somehow managed to distract Steve at a critical moment and the damn fool had basically taken a header off a building into a pile of jagged chunks of concrete. It was a miracle Steve hadn't injured himself worse. Tony hadn't been able to convince himself to leave medical. The nurses had eventually kicked him out.

"I nearly got him killed, Pep."

"I don't believe that for a minute."

Tony snorted. "I love you, but you're biased."

"And you're still not answering the question."

Tony sighed. "He got incredibly fucking lucky. If he hadn't been distracted yelling at me--"

"Tony," Pepper's voice held a note of warning as she interrupted. "You can't blame yourself for that and expect me to back you up. Fine. Maybe you screwed up. Steve made his own choices, and not all of them were perfect, either."

Tony felt a bitter smile twist his expression. _He also chose Pepper over me, didn't he._

"Where did you get that crazy idea from?"

"Fuck. That wasn't supposed to come out either."

Pepper's hand, still tangled in his hair, tightened slightly around the handful of tangled curls she held. It stung ever so slightly, but Tony welcomed it. It was oddly calming. "Tony," she said slowly, "the only reason you were sidelined was because you chose to be." 

"Not true. Open relationships don't automatically mean threesomes, and Cap is about as straight as they come."

Pepper tilted his head back and up, resting it against her body and forcing him to meet her eyes, albeit upside-down. "Tony, that's so far from the truth that I don't even know where to start. Here's what's going to happen. Steve is going to join us for dinner next week, and you _will_ be there. We'll watch movies, and then there _will_ be a discussion on expectations and rules and limits. Like we had three years and change ago."

"But--"

"No buts, Tony." Pepper dropped a kiss on his forehead. "If you're not there, I'm sending Cap down here to haul you out. Over his shoulder, if he has to. I know he's strong enough to do it, and I'm fairly sure JARVIS would allow it."

Great.


	10. Chapter 10

It took 48 hours for Medical to release him. By the end, Steve was about ready to climb the walls. He'd have been fine to leave after 24 hours, and everyone knew it. The situation suggested that orders had come down from on high to suggest he be forced to cool his heels. Perhaps, Steve admitted to himself, Tony had been right about the lack of privacy at HQ. But he wasn't about to tell anyone that.

Better to leave those words unsaid.

Now, though, the nurse on duty had finally brought him his discharge papers. Steve paged through them without properly reading them, only checking to make sure that the correct forms were in the packet and the information was correct. He'd done this so often it might as well have been by rote.

Released, the cast on his arm removed, and that on his leg replaced with an air cast he was forced to wear for at least another full day, Steve was more than ready to leave. Predictably, they handed him a pair of crutches and gave him strict orders not to use his leg much. Impatient to get out and back to his apartment, Steve nodded, taking the painkillers they'd prescribed and hobbling out of Medical to the main building. Agents seemed to scatter as he made his way through the building, subtly clearing the way between Steve and the exit as though they could feel his impatience.

He stepped out the main doors, stopping to tilt his face up into the sunlight and take a deep breath of the slightly fresher air. Before he could continue, though, a voice hailed him.

"Need a lift?"

Steve turned to spot Clint casually leaning slouched against the wall and grinned. "Clint. That'd be swell."

"Come on, then." The archer pushed off the wall and led the way over to a conspicuously cherry red convertible whose make Steve didn't immediately recognise.

"One of Tony's?"

Clint grinned. "I may or may not have borrowed this vehicle."

"Does he know about it?"

"Please. Like JARVIS would let anyone get away with that."

Steve grinned back, carefully settling himself in the passenger's seat. His leg still ached dully all the time, and bumping it made it ache sharply. "True."

"How long til you're back on active duty?"

"The cast comes off tomorrow, so probably a few days," Steve hedged. Active duty hadn't been mentioned, but he suspected that by Friday he would be fit again. Not that he wouldn't respond to a call out sooner if he had to.

"Good to hear. Nat said you were bored out of your mind."

"It wasn't _that_ bad."

"Sure it was, you just don't want to admit it. But that's fine."

Steve shrugged. "I've had worse. Right now, all I want is a shower."

The comment got him a laugh and Clint started the car. "I hear ya. Next stop, Stark Tower."

"My apartment was in Brooklyn, last I checked. Not downtown Manhattan." Steve gave Clint a questioning look.

"Apparently Stark talked Coulson into it, and he persuaded Fury. We're all based in the Tower now."

Wait, what? "When did that happen? And what about my apartment?"

"Over the course of the last three days. Don't worry, your stuff's intact. But Nat moved you a change of clothes or three. You can decide what goes where later. I've gotta say, whatever else you can say about Stark, he has style."

"That wasn't-- oh nevermind." He'd wanted to see Pepper anyway, and Tony owed him a conversation. At least this way he had the excuse, if he needed it, that he wanted to hash out the situation with his apartment.

Clint gave him a suspicious look, but didn't pursue the point. "Anyhow. Top ten floors of the building are ours, effectively. Stark's got the top three, the next one is a common floor, and the next six are half apartment, half amenities. We've got two empty apartments on the lowest floor for guests, a gym on your floor, a lab for Bruce, a huge dining room on Thor's floor, Nat got to design her own, and a shooting range. And I really want to know how he managed to pull off that last one in a high-rise. That takes a lot of permits. Especially in Manhattan. You don't even want to know how much hell HQ went through for theirs, and we're already a government agency."

Steve raised an eyebrow. "Really, Clint? It's Tony. He blows things up for a living."

"Nah." Clint shook his head, taking the turn for the ramp that led to the underground parking garage of Stark Tower. "That doesn't matter. His bank account might, though. Or maybe his AI."

Carefully guiding the car into the private freight elevator at the far end of the garage level, Clint cut the engine. Soft bluish lights came up and JARVIS' voice seemed to come from all around them as the elevator started moving without input from either of them. "Welcome, Captain. It is a pleasure to see you back on your feet."

Steve smiled. "Thanks, JARVIS. What's this I hear about Tony moving us all into the Tower?"

"Sir deemed it a more efficient solution to the problem of getting the team to HQ or on mission. Agent Coulson and Director Fury apparently agreed with the assessment. SHIELD will be designating a Quinjet for Avengers use."

Steve had to admit that was likely true. But it didn't answer the question of why Tony had deemed it necessary _now_ , when he hadn't in the past. He suspected he knew the answer, but without confirmation, the information didn't help him much. Maybe, Steve decided, he would ask Pepper.

The elevator doors opened with a near silent glide of well-lubricated metal on metal, and Clint started the car long enough to back it carefully into its space in Tony's garage. Shutting it off again, the archer patted the dash wistfully, directing his next comment at the vehicle. "Stark doesn't deserve a lovely thing like you."

"That is immaterial, Agent Barton," JARVIS replied, tone amused, surprising the archer into looking up. "Sir can afford it. I believe his reasoning was something to the effect of, 'it's inefficient and I can make it better'."

That was definitely something Tony would do. Shaking his head, Steve gathered up the crutches and opened the car door, climbing to his feet. "Hey, JARVIS?"

"Yes, Captain?"

"Where is this apartment I've apparently been gifted?"

"That would be on the 71st floor. Would you like a tour?"


	11. Chapter 11

Pepper's phone vibrated the moment her lunch break started. Surprised, she pulled it out of her purse and glanced down at the screen. A text message... from JARVIS?

*-Agent Barton has retrieved the Captain. I have taken the liberty of showing him to the apartment Sir has designated for his use.-*

There was a photo attached. Pepper smiled. Steve, looking weary and still rather battered, had clearly taken a seat on the sofa in his apartment, and then let himself stretch out on it, casted leg hanging over the side and one arm pillowing his head. She was sure he considered himself almost recovered, but it was obvious to her that he needed to rest a bit more.

*-When he wakes up, please let him know that he is invited to join me and Tony for dinner tonight,-* she replied.

*-I'll just put it in Sir's calendar, then, shall I? Seven PM?-*

Pepper's smile widened. JARVIS was invaluable, and not just to Tony. *-Yes, thank you, JARVIS.-*

Thankfully, her afternoon was uneventful. The one important thing -- a teleconference with the regional headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland -- had gone well. Now she was free to focus on dealing with Tony's misconceptions and self-imposed isolation. Pepper frowned slightly as she gathered her things to leave the office promptly at 5:30; she really hadn't expected that particular development, and it was clearly one issue she would have to get to the bottom of. It was making Steve edgy, and making her worry. And Tony was clearly not happy, though he was masking it reasonably well.

Reaching the elevator, Pepper paused, considering the problem as she reached out to press the call button. The elevator doors opened before she could. Clearly JARVIS' influence. Stepping in, she watched the doors slide shut and glanced up into the corner where she knew JARVIS' camera was hidden. "Is Tony in the workshop?"

"He is, Ms. Potts. Would you prefer to exit on the workshop level?"

"No, I have some planning to do. Is Steve still sleeping?"

"The Captain is currently on the rooftop, drawing."

"The roof then, JARVIS."

The AI didn't respond verbally, but Pepper felt the elevator accelerate, JARVIS whisking her to the private roof access. Located several floors above the Tower's helipad and with access restricted to only select members of the maintenance crew and the occupants of the top ten floors of the building, the rooftop was usually deserted. Steve had ensconced himself on the narrow ledge just below the glass railing in a corner of the gravel-covered area, sketchbook on his knees, and his injured leg propped up carefully. It looked uncomfortable. He'd eschewed the delicate-looking wrought iron table in the far corner, and the small rooftop garden Bruce was attempting to start.

He glanced up when the door opened, surprised, then began stowing his supplies with a speed that spoke of years of routine. "Pepper. What are you doing up here?"

"I can't come looking for you, Steve?" She crossed over to the table and appropriated one of the chairs, half carrying and half dragging it over. Like hell was she going to sit in the gravel and ruin her suit.

"Sure you can," he rejoined, "but you seem to have some objective other than conversation in mind."

It still sometimes struck Pepper as startling how well he could read people. Sure, he misjudged sometimes -- he'd haltingly told her about his first encounter with Tony and it had felt like a confession -- but once he had a person's measure, he seemed to know them almost better than they knew themselves. "Well, you're not wrong," she admitted quietly, "but I was hoping for the conversation as well."

Steve settled back more comfortably against the railing. "This is about dinner, isn't it."

It wasn't a question. Pepper gave him an approving nod. "This is about dinner. Or, more specifically, what comes after."

"Movies?"

"Movies and important conversations."

"Ah." A short silence took hold before Steve added, "I asked him, you know."

"Asked who what?" That sounded possibly ominous. Pepper suppressed a sigh. Hopefully this wouldn't be another problem to solve.

"I asked Tony why he changed his mind."

That got Steve a raised eyebrow. "About...?"

"He didn't tell you? That figures. That first night you... invited me, Tony seemed to be reasonably comfortable with the idea. After he ran off, after he had time to think, he started acting weird. So I asked him why."

Pepper gave in to the frustration this time and groaned quietly. That explained a lot. "No wonder. What did he say?"

"He refused to. Something about Fury listening in."

"You asked him over Italian, didn't you?"

Steve nodded, then pulled the conversation back on topic. "What important conversation?"

"Well, you might be onto something, so we ought to pry that answer out of him. And then move on to my question to both of you: what do you want out of this train wreck of an attempt at a possible relationship?"

"What do you mean?"

"Steve, Tony thinks you want nothing to do with him, and that you're straight."

"Why would he think that?"

"Don't ask me." Pepper shrugged. "Tony has a bad habit of picking the worst possible interpretation of events and latching onto it, when it comes to his friends."

"So when you and I went out to dinner--"

"He probably made assumptions. And I know for a fact that he had quite a few of those going into this mess. So if you want this to be a proper relationship, if you haven't changed your mind about all of this, you need to make that clear to him."

Steve nodded slowly. "I'll have to think about that a bit. I haven't changed my mind, but convincing Tony of anything is difficult."

"Sometimes even if he wants what you're offering," Pepper agreed.

"What do you want out of this, Pepper?"

She gave him a rueful smile. "Well, originally, I just wanted Tony to let the team in. To trust you all a little more. Or if he couldn't do that, to specifically let _you_ in. Asking you to dinner was partially a step towards that goal and partially for my own purposes."

"And now?" Steve's expression hovered somewhere between impassive and anticipatory.

"Now I want to see if this will actually work. I like you, Steve. A lot. And I think Tony might, too, or this would be bothering him a lot less."

"Well, Tony moving everyone into the Tower seems like a step in the right direction to me."

"True. But--"

Steve shook his head, and she broke off. "We can ask Tony about that later," he asserted. "Let's not borrow trouble. Change of subject. What did I miss while I was out?"

"Well," Pepper thought back over the past three days, "not much besides the ongoing drama with Tony. Natasha disappeared yesterday; she didn't tell me where she was going, only that I'd need to find a different PA for a few days. My guess is that it's mission-related. Clint's been tearing through the shooting range and, according to JARVIS, exploring the ventilation system..."


	12. Chapter 12

Dinner turned out to be a spread of Chinese dishes that Steve would have considered overkill before the Serum. Now, he knew through experience, most of it would disappear. He loved the Serum, but the caloric intake it required was downright ridiculous at times. Any level of activity more than just working out in the gym led to him being forced to eat an almost embarrassing amount of food just to recoup what he'd burned. Unless it was cold. Somehow -- he didn't know why the temperature made a difference -- he ended up using a lot less energy to accomplish the same missions.

Tony and Pepper spent a majority of the time discussing on-going projects. Including Stark Industries' campaign to market Avengers themed StarkPhones. The idea being that a portion of the income from those sales would go to supporting the team. And there were other merchandising efforts in the works. Apparently, someone had thought action figures were a good idea. Clint was in full support of _that_ particular project.

Steve stayed out of the discussion except when either of them asked him a question. He didn't know enough about the status of the work to comment, really. It didn't help that the political situation in New York tended to swing wildly back and forth between support for the team and condemnation. Or that Tony took it on himself to be their public face and insisted the rest of them stay out of the fray. That had always grated on Steve somewhat, but had been outweighed by his guilty relief at having a chance to stay out of the limelight. He'd never acquired a taste for it despite the time he had spent in the limelight as a figurehead before bucking orders and running off to rescue Bucky. He shied away from _that_ train of thought, refocusing on the discussion just in time for a change of topic.

Pepper turned the conversation to her efforts to rebuild her art collection, and Tony winced. Steve gave him a curious look, wondering what had prompted such a reaction to a seemingly harmless topic, and got a flat stare in return, before Pepper began asking about his opinions on Pollock and his technique. That conversation lasted a while. After five minutes, Steve could tell Tony had tuned out. Pepper shrugged, catching Steve's put-out expression. Clearly Tony was more interested in the aesthetics of his own designs than those of others.

Once the last of the food had disappeared -- and that surprised Steve with its suddenness; he hadn't been paying attention to the amount of food left, invested in the discussion with Pepper -- Tony stood, relief in the set of his shoulders.

"Come on, Pep, Cap. Movie time."

Pepper followed his lead, and Steve couldn't help but notice the inherent grace in her movements again as he trailed after the two of them. They wound up in what Steve assumed was Tony's ultra-modern equivalent of a living room. An enormous screen dominated one wall, and a sofa that looked like it was as apt to swallow you as allow you to sit on it was placed opposite the screen.

"JARVIS," Tony was saying as Steve entered, "what have we got in the library that Cap would like and also won't put me to sleep?"

"Perhaps _Monty Python and the Holy Grail_ , Sir?"

Tony turned to him. "Have you seen it?"

"No...?"

"Okay, cue it up, JARVIS. Can't have Cap missing out on a prime piece of pop culture like that one."

"What is it?"

"Low-budget absurdist humour," Pepper replied. "Don't worry, you shouldn't need any context for this."

It turned out to be one of the most confusing films he'd ever watched. But also one of the funniest, punctuated with Tony's amused sniggers and Pepper's enjoyment of the orchestrated insanity. He made a note; he'd have to watch it again later when he had time to pause the movie and ask questions. Tony grabbed his shoulder when the _Intermission_ segment started playing and Steve shifted, automatically moving to stand and stretch. "That part's also a joke. Not an actual intermission. Unless you want something to drink?"

In the end, Steve decided, the cartoon segments had been his favourites; including the slightly blue ones. He said as much when Tony asked him his opinion after the film was over.

While Tony considered his reply, clearly getting ready to start a debate about the points that had been raised, Pepper hijacked the conversation. "You can argue movies with Steve later, Tony."

As he stared at her in mild surprise, waiting for her to explain and watching Tony as subtly as he could manage, Pepper straightened her posture, squaring her shoulders as though she were about to wade into battle. This conversation probably would feel like a battle, Steve knew. 

"We need to work out a few things," she added, "because the situation as it is will only worsen."

"Situation." Tony gave her a skeptical look. "What situation is that?"

Steve rolled his eyes. Now that was just deliberately obtuse. "The one where you refuse to talk about the fact that Pepper inviting me into your bed has apparently either upset you or made you angry at me."

"Wait, what?" Tony looked surprised, now.

"Tony, when the three of us are in a room you bolt as soon as it's remotely possible, and you refuse to talk about the issue." Steve caught his eyes and held them, giving him a long level look.

"That's not it at all."

"Then what is it?"

Tony winced and ignored the question. "That doesn't matter. You two are having fun."

"Tony," Pepper drew out his name. "You have no idea what you're talking about."

"Please. We had this conversation once before. An open relationship doesn't automatically equate to a threesome."

Pepper made an aggravated sound. "Tony Stark, you are assuming things about me -- and Steve. Have you considered asking either of us?"

When Tony waved a hand in the air by his shoulder in a gesture that seemed meant to brush away that logic, Steve put in his two cents. "Will you stop that and _listen_ , Tony?"

"What?"

"We're trying to tell you your assumptions are wrong, Tony." Pepper continued. "I know you hate hearing that, but... You have all these ideas about Steve and about me and none of them are true. We had _dinner_."

"You mean you haven't--"

Steve gave Tony a look that bordered on a glare as he cut off the sentence. "No." 

"Tony," Pepper put in, her tone as patient as she could make it, "how long did it take us to take that step?"

Steve could see him somewhat reluctantly accept the obvious implication. Pepper hadn't shared _that_ particular tidbit with him, but he was sure it had taken a few dates.

"Huh." Tony looked like he couldn't decide how to feel about the new piece of information.


	13. Chapter 13

Well. That was ... not surprising, actually, considering the people involved. Suddenly vaguely embarrassed, Tony nodded slowly. Pepper and Steve both relaxed slightly. That _was_ surprising. He hadn't realised this was making either of them so tense. "So," he drawled, deliberately letting his emphasis stay on the syllable for a while, "what's the deal, then."

It wasn't a question. Not really. But Steve answered it anyway. "Well, first, you tell me what you refused to say at SHIELD."

Tony winced, slumping back into the sofa which obligingly tried to swallow him up. "I told you already. I'm not sure it's a good idea."

"Why?" Steve's tone made the question more of a command, which was kinda hot.

No, Tony stopped that train of thought. Not going there. "Let's see," he began ticking off points on his fingers, keeping his eyes on his hands to avoid looking at Pepper or Steve, "it'd mess with the team dynamics; we'd be a disaster waiting to happen, we fight all the time; you could do better, hell, _Pepper_ could do better--"

"Tony," Pepper cut him off, taking both his hands into one of her own -- he was abruptly reminded of how small her hands were and how he'd had to ask her for help replacing the reactor that one afternoon so long ago -- and forcing his head up so she could catch his eyes with the other, "how many times have I told you that I will not--"

"-- let me sabotage this, I know, Pep. But you have no idea. It... just happens." Tony refused to look at Steve's expression. It would probably be all sorts of pity, and he couldn't handle that right now.

Pepper silently continued to hold his eyes as Steve spoke up from behind her and to Tony's right. "You're right, it _would_ mess with the team dynamics. Because you'd be _part_ of the team if you let yourself," he addressed the first point. The others would surely follow, Tony knew. "Fighting is what we do. We're both good at it," Steve continued, and yeah, Tony knew that quite well. Their first meeting on the Helicarrier sprang to mind. Before he could lose himself in the memory, though, Steve spoke again after a slight pause. "I've seen you and Pepper have your disagreements. You know as well as I do that having a fight isn't the end of a relationship. Not working it out once you've calmed down _is_. And as for being able to do better... Tony, that's for us to decide. Not you."

Tony surrendered, a shiver going through him that made Pepper tighten her grip on him. As though he were going to run or float away like an unmoored boat. "And when you change your mind?"

" _If_ ," Steve stressed the word heavily, "if either of us ever got anywhere close, there would probably be a discussion."

"And maybe therapy," Pepper interjected. In the face of Steve's questioning look, she added, "neither of you is particularly low maintenance. You're both on a team that fights the monsters most people shy away from even imagining. That's not exactly low-stress. And running Stark Industries is hardly much better."

"Pepper's hinted at long-term, and I don't want to settle for less if I don't have to," Steve's voice held a note of uncertainty, but suddenly everything was falling into place for Tony, some of the tension running out of him like current leaking out of a charged capacitor. Slowly, but with increasingly obvious results.

"Wait wait wait. Long-term, Pep? Are you sure?" The whole situation was surreal. The universe was answering his unvoiced concerns. He'd thought back at the beginning of this mess that Cap deserved more than a one-night stand...

"Are you?" She smiled slightly at his reaction. 

"You know me, always willing to jump into bed," he knew his tone was a bit flippant, but he couldn't help it. It was almost automatic. "Cap," Tony finally addressed the man directly, "what do you want out of this?"

"Funny you should say that," Steve's amusement was audible. Which was good, because Pepper was still holding his attention in something of a literal sense and Tony couldn't turn to look at him. "Pepper asked me that same question."

"Pepper?" Tony tried, "what--" he trailed off, not quite sure how to phrase the question.

"Well, you were hiding from both of us," she replied with a slight shrug, the movement making the hand under his chin pull him in a weird stretch. "I needed to know what at least one of you wanted or even this conversation would have been impossible. So," she raised one eyebrow at him, "now that you know I have no intention of running away with Steve -- no matter how much less stressful I suspect he is to deal with on a daily basis --" Tony tried to protest, but was cut off by the tightening of Pepper's grip on his hands, "and that Steve is interested in trying this, it's your turn to tell us what _you_ want."

For all that usually he could talk his way into -- or out of -- just about anything, in that moment the words deserted him. "I-- shit, I have no idea what to say." They both waited patiently, though Tony could feel the tension in the air picking back up slightly. Trying to stave off that feeling, Tony blurted out, "you know what you're getting into, Cap?"

Steve huffed. "More or less."

"Good enough for me," Tony decided. "I guess we're doing this, then, 'cause I'm not about to turn down a chance like this."

"Why did you hide for so long, then," Steve wanted to know.

Pepper released him, and Tony made a show of flexing and extending his fingers before rubbing at his neatly trimmed beard. "One thing you need to keep in mind, Steve, is that Tony generally avoids shows of emotion if he can. Along with meetings and other company obligations." Pepper's tone was dry.

"What she means is that the meetings are boring. I avoid boring things," Tony lazily defended himself. "Emotions are about the most confusing thing possible. I prefer to unravel them at leisure."

Steve gave him a look that said he saw right through the statement, but didn't challenge it. Surprisingly. But Pepper did. "You mean you'd rather spend a week straight in your workshop than deal with an issue when it presents itself."

"Close enough."

Steve snorted. "You know," he quipped, "if you go hide in your workshop like that from here on in, that means I'll have Pepper to myself."

Tony bristled, slightly possessively. Damn the strategist. He knew what buttons to push already.

Pepper laughed. "True enough, Steve. Calm down, Tony."


	14. Chapter 14

Gesturing to Steve to sit on the sofa on one side of Tony, she took the other, tugging Tony down to half sprawl across her lap. It forced him to wrap one arm around her waist for balance and flail just enough that Steve managed to capture his feet. His body language telegraphed his uncertainty, even though his voice was steady as he grumbled, "you know, all you had to do was ask."

"And leave you the option of saying no?" she smiled sweetly at him, interlacing her left hand with his free one and pulling it up over his head to pin it lightly against the armrest to her side. They both knew he could break the hold if he chose. It put the muscled lines of his upper body on display so nicely, though. She took a moment to admire the sight. "No. We have a lot more to discuss."

"So why am I laid out like a buffet?"

Glancing at Steve, Pepper smirked. "Because I happen to like that idea. Steve?"

Intuiting the question she had just left unasked, Steve nodded. "Works for me."

Clearing his throat, Tony shifted in her grip. "Riiiiight. Anyway. What else did we have to discuss? I thought we'd covered the important topics."

"Well, _I_ know what you like in bed, but Steve doesn't. He also has no idea what I like," Pepper pointed out. Watching Steve blush ever so slightly might be a new turn on, she reflected. "We ought to remedy that."

Tony groaned. "You're killing me, here."

Steve eyed him warily, somewhat intrigued, before venturing a hesitant question. "Why?"

"He's a bit of an exhibitionist." Pepper answered him when the silence dragged out just long enough to get uncomfortable, letting go of Tony's hand. He left it where it was.

A pinch to Tony's ribs earned her a full-body twitch, but got him talking again. "Ow! Pepper! Damn it, how many times do I have to tell you--"

Carefully, she cut him off again with one hand in his hair, gently but firmly tugging his head back so he couldn't see Steve, and the other continued wandering over his torso. Lingering over deltoids and pecs shaped by smithing and welding, tracing abs toned by boxing and then honed further as a result of using his armour. After a glance at Steve to make sure _he_ was okay with the impromptu show revealed that he was tracking the movements of her hand with nearly all of his attention, she prompted, "tell me what, Tony?"

She got an inarticulate whine in response, and the strength of Tony's reaction to her actions and Steve's eyes on both of them was a _definite_ turn on, adding to the sparks she'd already been feeling, feeding them and beginning to fan them into flame. "Tell me what," she repeated the question.

"That you're incredibly hot and damn it why are you doing this now?" Tony was pretty obviously getting hard, and his sentence was slightly jumbled.

"Because you'd only repress, otherwise. This way it'll be easier for all of us," Pepper informed him, her tone as matter-of-fact as she could make it. Judging by Steve's expression, she didn't manage. Or maybe she had and he liked the control that took. That might be worth investigating... Stopping that train of thought, she told herself, _later. Investigate that later._

"Fuck me. This is already a disaster." Tony forced out between his teeth, and would have continued but Steve chose that moment to slide his good hand up Tony's left calf, diving under the loose jeans, caressing the skin he could reach and surprising Tony into silence.

"What makes you think this is a disaster, Tony," Steve asked. The undertone of lust roughening his voice caught her off-guard. Probably as much as it did Tony, who arched up searching for some friction and finding none. There was no give in Steve's grip, keeping Tony safely on the sofa. Pepper caught Steve's eyes and smiled. He was catching on quickly. This idea was turning out to be better and better; to her, Steve had always seemed the type of person that would be undaunted by a steep learning curve, and she'd been right in her assessment, apparently. For all that he claimed to be inexperienced, he was taking to this with his usual poise and confidence.

"Well," Tony attempted to keep his voice from breaking under the weight of the words, "you said discussion. This is more like demonstration."

"Who says they can't be one and the same," Pepper chided him, doing her best not to get caught up in the moment. "Go on."

Licking his lips to wet them, Tony took a long moment to gather his thoughts. Once he'd succeeded, his usual mild sarcasm came back to the fore. "We've covered the exhibitionism. Did you intend to demo the other kinks as well, Pep? We could be here a while."

"Not all of them. But one or two. Choose carefully."

"Fuck. I don't even care anymore. Just touch me," was his response.

"No." Pepper was startled to hear Steve take the initiative to reply, even as his hand -- now outside Tony's jeans -- wandered farther up to caress one knee through the fabric. "Tell me."

"You're doing just fine on your own, Cap."

Pepper sighed silently to herself. This was getting them nowhere fast. "Tony," she prompted, a hint of warning in her tone.

"Fine, fine. That knee is --" Tony broke off with a choked noise when Steve took the opportunity to dig his fingers in just enough to turn the caress into a firm grip, his fingertips pressing into the hollow behind Tony's knee. It took him a moment to remember that he should be speaking. "-- is a sensitive spot," he finished, expression slightly dazed.

"And?" Steve prompted Tony to continue, releasing Tony's leg and letting him have a moment. "What else?"

"Lots, but I'm going to go with biting."

Pepper saw Steve blink in mild surprise as he absorbed that information. She nodded to him before turning back to Tony, asking, "where?"

"Anywhere it doesn't show in a suit, but mostly shoulders and neck."

Before she could call his bluff, Steve beat her to the punch, pushing up Tony's pant leg and sinking his teeth into the meat of Tony's calf, even as his hand unerringly found the sensitive spot behind Tony's knee again.

She just had enough time to register his white even teeth pressing marks into olive skin before Tony whined high in his throat, jerking in their hold and trembling just slightly. With a smug smirk, Pepper followed suit, pushing aside the collar of Tony's tshirt as she pulled him half up out of her lap, then catching the muscle at the join of shoulder and neck between her teeth. She held the pressure, keeping Tony from flailing too much with an arm wrapped under his arm and around his chest.

She used her other hand to undo the fly of Tony's jeans, reaching inside to push aside his underwear and wrap her fingers loosely around the erection beneath. Without lube it would chafe a little, she knew, but Tony whined again, nearly writhing in their grasp. "More, c'mon Pep, _more_."

With an amused huff, Pepper lifted her head, letting her lips trail up Tony's neck so she could murmur into his ear as she tightened her grip just slightly. Steve had rolled Tony's jeans up farther and was experimenting with teeth and tongue in the hollow behind Tony's knee. When he found the correct combination of pressure and location, Tony jerked hard in their hold with a whine that became a choked sound when Pepper adjusted her grip and began jerking him off properly. "Just look at him, Tony, he's enjoying this almost as much as you are. I didn't get to ask him about his kinks, but I can tell he's enjoying himself."

That got her a nearly inaudible noise from Steve, and she knew she'd have to get some relief herself after this. Refocusing, she continued, "maybe next time I'll strip you and tie you to the bed." Tony twitched in her hold, mumbling indistinct approval.

Steve released Tony's leg, and leaned toward her, balancing on his good arm. Pepper smiled and took the hint. Slowly, gently, pulled him in for a kiss, giving him time to adjust to the slightly awkward angle and keep his balance, not giving Tony any respite.

"Pepper," Tony's voice cracked. "Close."

She smirked into the kiss and deepened it, getting a surprised noise from Steve, whose hands landed high on Tony's thighs so he wouldn't overbalance and tumble them all off the sofa. The way Steve's hold tightened on him dragged a moan out of Tony. Pepper shuddered. She had to bite her lip to hold back her own. Her grip on his dick tightened without her conscious decision. Added just enough friction, apparently. 

One last twitch and a long shudder ran through Tony before he arched hard in their grasp and came with a loud groan. A long moment later, he went limp, his breath coming in short gasps. Once he'd recovered enough to speak, Tony quipped, "fuck. You two will be the death of me."

Pepper huffed, amused. "I doubt it." Settling Tony on the sofa, she slid out from under him, standing and forcing her posture straight. The heat running through her veins wanted her to give in to the urge and simply drape herself over Steve. Instead, giving Steve a slow once-over, she took the few steps towards him. He was obviously hard, and just as obviously trying to ignore it. He looked uncomfortable. Meeting his eyes, she quirked one eyebrow at him. "Want some help with that?"

Steve startled, a deer-in-headlights expression taking hold. "If-- if you want?"

"Oh," Tony drawled lazily, stretching, rubbing whichever parts of him were in range against as much of Steve as possible, satisfaction all but dripping from his tone, "we want. Give Pep what she wants. I'll sit back and enjoy the show."

It was kind of hilarious how, now that they'd finally convinced Tony, he was enthusiastically in favor of this... experiment. Pepper shook her head, anticipation clearing it slightly, before she spoke. "Come on, Steve. It's time we took this to the bedroom. Don't worry about Tony," she paused when Tony whined at her, then continued, "he'll follow once he remembers how his legs work."


	15. Chapter 15

The walk was not a long one. Thankfully. Walking with an erection kept confined by your clothes was awkward and not entirely comfortable. Steve wanted to shake his head at his own thoughts. Pepper's idea of a demonstration had all but destroyed his focus. This was decidedly _not_ what he ought to be concerned with, right now. At least, he decided, it had taken the edge off his nerves.

They were still there, but muted.

As he finished the thought, hands landed on his waist, pulling him close and forcing him to refocus on what he was doing. The solid warmth of Pepper's body pressed against his was a surprising contrast to the cool air of the room, even clothed as they were. Glancing down, he met Pepper's eyes, and he shoved the rest of the nerves aside. "Pepper," he started, and was cut off by a finger landing on his lips. Her other hand was playing with the buckle of his belt, teasing. It was only just enough sensation to hint and suggest, unsatisfying.

"Shh, no worrying. You were just fine a few minutes ago," she soothed, misunderstanding completely.

"That's not what I was going to say." Steve lifted his hands to her shoulders and squeezed them gently. "How is this going to work?"

"Well, I intend to have my way with you. If there is anything you don't want or don't like, you tell me. Consider that an order, if it helps." Steve nodded, acknowledging the request. "All I want you to do," she smirked, "is relax and enjoy yourself."

"What about you," he persisted.

"Steve," Pepper paused, eyeing him, "shut up and take your shirt off."

Somewhat bemused, he obeyed. Partially. The shirt came off, but he wasn't about to let this be as one-sided as it sounded. "I'm serious, Pepper."

"So am I. God, you're amazing." She apparently couldn't resist touching. Her hands felt absolutely tiny against his skin, and it made him pause, and why was he fixating on that, it was so far from what he should be thinking about. "No," she added, apparently sensing his hesitation but misinterpreting it entirely, "really. I know everyone probably goes on and on about how perfect you look, but it's true nonetheless."

"Pepper," he tried, one of his hands coming up to caress the side of her neck just under her ear. Realising all that had accomplished was to get his fingers hopelessly tangled in her hair, he continued, trying to gently extricate himself, "you don't have to flatter me to get me into your bed. I'm already convinced."

Her hands went back to his belt, deftly opening the buckle and reaching for the closure on his pants almost before he realised what was happening. "Those last two statements have no bearing on each other. But I'm glad you're convinced. This would be awkward, otherwise," she contradicted him, tone cheerful. "And you already know I like you for more than your muscles."

Deciding he needed to give as good as he was getting, Steve reached for the buttons of her blouse. "I suppose you have a point," he conceded, firmly catching her hands in one of his as he worked to bare the skin beneath her still-neat clothing, "but we digress."

"Oh?" The look in her eyes was challenging. "I thought we were still on topic. In fact, I thought I was actually going to get into your pants."

Steve huffed, amused, not understanding the slang but reasonably sure his guess was on target. "I'm going to assume you mean that literally."

"Well, obviously."

Opening the remaining buttons of Pepper's blouse revealed a lacy black bra that concealed nothing. All it did was accentuate her pale smooth skin to dramatic effect and draw attention to her hard nipples. He might have made a noise, because Pepper giggled at his reaction.

"This will be _fun_ ," she quipped as she turned them, using the hands still clasped in his to push him backwards towards the bed. 

When the edge of the mattress hit the backs of his knees, Steve stumbled to a stop, releasing Pepper's hands without thinking as he threw his arm out to keep his balance. Rather than let him recover, though, Pepper simply undid his pants and pushed them down. It forced a choked noise out of him, and Pepper paused just long enough to catch his eyes and make sure he was fine. Moments later his underwear -- more carefully -- followed the same path, joining his pants around his ankles. Suddenly self-conscious again, Steve stepped out of the puddle of clothing, keenly aware that he was wearing nothing but his socks, not meeting Pepper's eyes.

"Hot damn, what did I miss," Tony's voice abruptly shook him back out of the momentary embarrassment.

"Nothing much, yet," Pepper answered Tony, not looking away. Her hands came up to glide over Steve's shoulders and down his front, lingering wherever they felt like it, finding a sensitive spot just under his ribs and toying with it, making him squirm, prompting him to catch her hands and hold them in one of his. "I can't decide whether to lick him all over or get just a condom on him and see what happens."

Imagining what that would be like, Steve felt the blush crawling up his neck as Tony laughed. "No one says you can't do both," Tony replied, his tone dark and all but dripping lust. It surprised Steve a little. Didn't seem like the correct reaction to seeing your girl have sex with someone else. And yet, it was somehow gratifying despite that.

"True." Pepper released him, stripped off her suit pants, revealing lacy underwear that matched her bra, and stepped away to reach into the narrow drawer of the small nightstand tucked away almost underneath the bed. He hadn't even seen it until Pepper had turned towards it, the white fabric of her blouse shifting tantalisingly around her as it hung open from her shoulders.

When Steve turned to follow her, Tony tutted at him. "Nuh-uh, Cap. Get your ass on the bed."

The reminder of his presence made Steve blush harder. Pepper noticed, and gave Tony a warning look. "Tony," she added, smiling sweetly, "don't make me ask JARVIS to lock you out tomorrow. I'm fairly sure he'd do it."

Tony's betrayed expression was confirmation enough to make Steve snicker quietly. Hearing him, Pepper relaxed slightly. "That's better," she nodded, tossing two small items onto the bed before beckoning him over. "Don't let Tony scare you off. He has no sense of modesty."

"I'd noticed," Steve quipped, forcing some of the tension out of his shoulders. He hadn't even realised it was there until now.

Pepper's hands landed back on his chest and she shoved lightly. He got the hint, backing up until the bed hit the backs of his knees again and letting Pepper push him down to sit on the edge. The urgency from earlier had calmed somewhat, but watching her shed her blouse and bra entirely was enough to reheat the proceedings. She simply let the garments fall to the floor behind her before she set her hands back on his shoulders, her weight guiding him to lie back on the bed with his feet still planted on the floor. In the process his hands ended up on her waist, helping her balance, and even just having his hands touching bare skin was a new feeling he reveled in. It satisfied some need he hadn't even known he had.

It didn't help that his hands almost entirely spanned her waist. A few more inches and he'd be able to make his fingers meet. And wasn't that a distracting thought. Before he could act on it, though, Pepper was smirking at him and sliding down his front, her bare skin brushing against his seemingly randomly and making him feel oversensitive, a square silver packet in her hand.

A deft movement and the packet opened, and then Pepper was _putting the condom on him with her mouth_. The tight heat and the slickness inside the condom combined to overwhelm him for a moment as she lingered with just the head between her lips. His hands went to her shoulders without his conscious decision. Careful, he reminded himself, don't lose control.

Her hands were on his hips... not that she had any chance of pinning him down. He'd have to be careful of his strength; the last thing he wanted was to hurt her. Once she started slowly settling him deeper into her mouth, though, those thoughts disappeared in a swirl of sensation. The warmth and slickness seemingly went on and on. Until he hit the back of her throat and jumped a little at the feeling.

Pepper paused for a moment, apparently hesitating, until Tony spoke up again. "Go on, Pep, blow his mind, I know you can take him deeper."

Considering that for another moment that seemed to stretch, Pepper pulled off, rolling the condom the rest of the way on with her hand, and shook her head, tugging playfully at Steve's dick, forcing a surprised grunt out of him and making his hips twitch sharply upwards without his input. "Another time. I have something else in mind for this."

"Oooh," Tony grinned gleefully, "he's responsive. Break him in carefully, Pep."

Steve wasn't sure whether he had just been complimented or not. But he definitely was tempted to hide his face behind his hands. He only barely resisted.

Pepper didn't let him finish his internal debate, though. "Steve?"

"Hm?" He tried to focus properly on her.

"You okay? You're being very quiet."

"I-- yeah. Just not sure what to--"

"Don't worry about that. Conversation is optional. I just need to know you're still with me." Pepper stood long enough to take off the lacy underwear she still wore. All he could do was watch as she lowered herself back onto the bed, poised over him on her hands and knees. If he hadn't already been on the bed, he might have had to sit down. The sight was one that he knew would stay with him for a long time, if only as a series of impressions. The pale freckles spreading across her collarbone, her complete confidence in herself and in him, her bright blue eyes and fiery red hair. The anticipation and desire.

Holding his eyes, Pepper wrapped one hand around his dick, lining herself up and then slowly dropping her hips. The world fell away and his fists clenched in the sheets as she sheathed him, wrapping him in warmth. Fighting not to move, knowing she would need to adjust, his hands clenched in the sheets. It was different from her mouth, he decided. Better. Tighter and-- 

Without warning, she moved, and it got better still. He arched into the sensation, wanting more, unconsciously driving up into her, letting her settle them into an almost languid rhythm. Pepper's hands were seemingly everywhere, caressing, touching, pinching, and sometimes simply holding him. When she buried one hand in his hair, forcing him to meet and hold her gaze, and reached down to wrap the other hand around his leg just above the knee and pull until his foot was planted flat on the bed, he arched up. She didn't let go. Distantly he heard the sheets rip, and realised a moment later that had been him. Better that, he thought dazedly, than to hurt Pepper without meaning to. Someone whistled appreciatively, and Steve abruptly tensed, surprised, breaking the rhythm they'd managed to set. He'd forgotten Tony was in the room.

The bed dipped beside him, and Steve realised Tony had joined them. "Hey, Cap, relax," he grinned. Gently but firmly, he pried Steve's right hand away from the sheets, straightening out the fingers and pressing into the palm, forcing Steve to relax his hand or risk possibly injuring _Tony_. Completely ignorant of the thoughts running through Steve's head, Tony took the hand he held and pressed it to Pepper's side, guiding and showing. There was a small area low on Pepper's back, just above her hips, that made her gasp and tighten around him, her hand tightening around his knee. It made him twitch in response, hitting a different angle and getting a high sound out of Pepper that Tony clearly approved of, judging by his smug smirk.

"Yes, there, Steve!" Pepper's breath was coming short and her nails dug into his leg. She didn't let him stop moving this time. When he faltered, she took over.

Gratefully, he fell into the new rhythm Pepper set, doing his best to hit that same angle again. That had clearly felt good. He managed once or twice, getting a full body twitch the second time. Tony released his hand, and Steve brought it up to caress her side and around to the point of her shoulder blade, exploring. He didn't find any sensitive spots as good as the one lower on her back, though. Then the bed dipped on his other side, and Tony was untangling his other hand from the sheets, setting it between Pepper's legs and that was almost enough to set him off. He could jerk himself off from that position, if he wanted. His fingers had brushed against his dick and the feeling had been startling in its intensity. Pepper tightened around him with a moan, though, clearly enjoying the touch, and he experimented with touching her there. It was warm and very slick and surprisingly soft. When he found and rubbed at the hard nub at the apex, she spasmed around him with a choked yell. It drove him over the edge, and his hands clamped down around her hips, pulling her down against him as tightly as he dared as he came.

It took Steve a minute or so to convince himself to let go of Pepper and when he did, it was only because Tony prodded at him. He would have been content to just luxuriate in the sensations, in having Pepper staring at him like he'd just surpassed all of her expectations. It was gratifying.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus, two years to the day after this fic germinated in my fannish brain, I present the epilogue/conclusion. This will probably stay a one-shot.

Iron Man soared past overhead, several of the small bat-like creatures on his tail and spitting acid at him. Steve carefully dodged the droplets that reached street level. Things were going almost too smoothly, and he couldn't bring himself to trust that a mission could be so easy.

But it was.

The bat things were corralled, the acid damage was minimal, and neither Tony nor Clint had injured themselves, though Tony's armour had any number of pock marks from where he'd been caught by the acid. Even Coulson and Fury could find nothing big to criticise, settling for lecturing the team about proper comms use and professional behaviour.

After that, Steve gave in. It didn't take him long to move his things out of the small Brooklyn apartment. The last box in his hands, Steve glanced back at the locked door once before he started down the stairs with a half smile. He'd been with Tony and Pepper for a week, and nothing had blown up in their faces. And, as Pepper had predicted, Tony's relationship with the rest of the team had also improved.

A lot of the tension had eased, now. Well, with the possible exception of Tony's lingering distrust of Natasha. Which -- though Steve felt it was almost disloyal to the team to admit it -- was somewhat justified, considering what she'd done.

Steve glanced up from the stairs, surprised, when the sound of footsteps on the landing below him caught his attention.

"Hey, come on, Cap, car's waiting." Tony was giving him an impatient look, as though annoyed that he had to spend so much time in a cheap apartment building. He'd spent half the afternoon criticising the building's structural inadequacies and failure to adhere to modern building codes, much to Steve's (carefully hidden) amusement.

Steve raised an eyebrow, teasing his teammate. "I thought the point was that you owned the car, so that it would wait for you?"

"Well, sure, but the longer we spend here, the less time we get to tag-team Pepper. I thought you had plans for tonight."

Steve smirked, starting down the stairs once again. He did, indeed, have plans. Fun ones.


End file.
